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Assemblymember Daniel Rosenthal joined volunteers and community members to help distribute over 100 turkeys ahead of Thanksgiving.

Congresswoman Grace Meng has long been an advocate for Jewish causes, especially those affecting her constituents. Ahead of Chanukah, Rep. Meng hosted an annual Chanukah reception this past Sunday at Union Plaza’s Flushing-based outdoor balcony. Attendees ran every gamut of the Queens political scene. Much appreciation is due to Meng's Jewish liaison Rabbi Daniel Pollack and her congressional staffer Anthony Lemma.

The Coalition for Jewish Values (CJV), representing over 1,500 traditional, Orthodox rabbis in American public policy, called this week for 450 progressive rabbis, organized by the New York Jewish Agenda (NYJA), to apologize for endorsing lockdowns against New York’s Orthodox community last year. Though supposedly intended to stop the spread of COVID-19, recently released testimony revealed that Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods were declared “hot spots” by then-Governor Andrew Cuomo’s political office against the determinations of New York State’s Department of Health.

Torah Jewry is reeling from the passing of Hagaon HaRav Shmaryahu Shulman zt”l, a talmid chacham of our generation who had a vast knowledge of shas. Rav Shmaryahu ben Pinchas Eliyahu was regarded as one of the foremost talmidim of Rav Yaakov Yitzchok Ruderman zt”l, the late Rosh Yeshiva of Ner Yisrael in Baltimore, where he received his rabbinic ordination. As a bachur, young Shmaryahu was raised Brooklyn, learning then at Yeshiva Torah Vodaas, and later in Lakewood under Rav Aharon Kotler zt”l, when Bais Medrash Govoah was in its infancy. Over the years, Rav Shulman cultivated close relationships with a myriad of gedolim from the previous generation, including Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l, the posek hador. Rav Feinstein was known to directly address Rav Shulman in many of his t’shuvos.

Chazaq’s life-changing work is known throughout the Jewish community. Since their inception in 2006, tens of thousands of people from all backgrounds are inspired by their events and lectures each year. In fact, in the last 12 months alone, Chazaq organized over 545 lectures on a wide variety of topics from relationships to raising children, from anger management to overcoming addictions, and everything in between.

MTA is proud of Sophomore Basil Edelstein, who was honored at the Jewish Learning Experience of Bergen County Dinner on Motza’ei Shabbos, November 13. “JLE is a wonderful organization that provides spiritual educational support for those wishing for a deeper connection to Judaism,” shared Basil. “I have worked with JLE since 2017, helping to run their important programming, which includes Megillah reading, Tu BiSh’vat s’darim, and model Pesach s’darim, both in-person and on Zoom during the pandemic. It’s a great opportunity for me to be involved in Jewish education. I am very fortunate to reside in a community that has ample Torah resources, and it’s integral to share it with others who may come from different backgrounds.”